Systems and methods for making gloves

ABSTRACT

A disclosed method for manufacturing a glove includes forming a base via molding, the base being shaped to include a palm portion and one or more extremity portions. The method also includes forming a top skin via molding, the top skin including one or more compartments, and forming a backhand assembly by attaching one or more edges of the one or more compartments of the top skin to the base. At least one remaining edge of each of the one or more compartments is unattached from the base. The method also includes reversing an orientation of the backhand assembly, filling each of the one or more compartments of the top skin with foam, and attaching the at least one remaining edge of each of the one or more compartments to the base.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/034,172, filed Jul. 12, 2018, titled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKINGGLOVES,” which is a non-provisional application of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/532,187, filed Jul. 13, 2017, titled, “Systemsand Methods for making Gloves,” both of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to manufacturing gloves and, moreparticularly, to methods for manufacturing gloves, including sportsgloves, by molding one or more components of the gloves.

BACKGROUND

Gloves are worn by wearers under a variety circumstances and may be usedfor a number of different purposes. The glove manufacturing methodsdescribed herein may be applied to many different types of gloves.Manufacturing methods of the present invention are described in detailherein in embodiments relating to sports gloves. Sports gloves are usedin a variety of sports to provide protection for the hands of aparticipant playing the sport and oftentimes holding an apparatusassociated with the sport (e.g., a lacrosse stick). Such sports glovestypically include multiple regions each designed to match a particularpart of the user's anatomy or provide location-specific protection forthe wearer. As such, sports gloves are typically formed via laborintensive processes in which many different components are stitched,glued, or otherwise attached in intricate arrangements to reach thefinal assembly. Unfortunately, the large number of components results ina labor-intensive process, which leads to high monetary cost andlikelihood of error in assembling the parts. Accordingly, a need existsfor glove manufacturing methods that address one or more of thesedrawbacks.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a glove may includeforming a base via molding. The base may be shaped to include a palmportion and one or more extremity portions. The method may also includeforming a top skin including one or more compartments. The method mayfurther include forming a backhand assembly by attaching one or moreedges of the one or more compartments of the top skin to the base withat least one remaining edge of each of the one or more compartmentsunattached from the base. The method may also include reversing anorientation of the backhand assembly, filling each of the one or morecompartments of the top skin with impact attention material, andattaching the at least one remaining edge of each of the one or morecompartments to the base.

In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a glove may includeforming a base shaped to include a palm portion and one or moreextremity portions. The method may also include forming a top skin viamolding, the top skin including one or more compartments. The method mayalso include forming a backhand assembly by attaching one or more edgesof the one or more compartments of the top skin to the base. At leastone remaining edge of each of the one or more compartments may beunattached from the base. The method may also include reversing anorientation of the backhand assembly, filling each of the one or morecompartments of the top skin with impact attention material, andattaching the at least one remaining edge of each of the one or morecompartments to the base.

In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a glove may includeforming a base via molding. The base may be shaped to include a palmportion and one or more extremity portions. The method may also includeforming a top skin including one or more compartments via molding. Themethod may also include forming a backhand assembly by attaching one ormore edges of the one or more compartments of the top skin to the base.At least one remaining edge of each of the one or more compartments maybe unattached from the base. The method may also include reversing anorientation of the backhand assembly, filling each of the one or morecompartments of the top skin with impact attention material, andattaching the at least one remaining edge of each of the one or morecompartments to the base.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, togetherwith the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing a gloveby forming a base and a top skin via molding, according to a disclosedembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing a gloveby forming a base via molding, according to a disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing a gloveby forming a top skin via molding, according to a disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a molded base and top skin for aglove, according to a disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the molded base of FIG. 4, accordingto a disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 6A is a schematic illustration of a top perspective view of amolded top skin for a glove, according to a disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 6B is a schematic illustration of a bottom perspective view of themolded top skin of FIG. 6A, according to a disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a glove,according to a disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 7B is a side perspective view of an embodiment of a glove,according to a disclosed embodiment; and

FIG. 7C is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of a glove,according to a disclosed embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed in further detail below, various embodiments of methods formanufacturing a glove are provided. In the following description, theglove manufacturing methods are described in the context of lacrossegloves. However, presently contemplated methods are applicable to a widerange of sports gloves, including, but not limited to, lacrosse gloves,golf gloves, hockey gloves, field hockey gloves, skiing gloves,snowboarding gloves, cricket gloves, motorcross gloves, bowling gloves,batting gloves, soccer goalie gloves, and any other type of sportsglove. Indeed the sports glove manufacturing methods provided herein areapplicable to a wide range of sports gloves, which are often used tocover the wearer's hands while playing a sport (e.g., while holding anapparatus, such as a lacrosse stick, while playing a sport). Thepresently contemplated methods are also applicable to non-sports gloves,such as general use cold weather gloves, construction gloves, gardeninggloves, etc.

Embodiments of the glove manufacturing methods disclosed herein mayinclude forming one or more components of the glove via molding. Forexample, in some embodiments, a three dimensional (3D) molded base maybe formed and/or a 3D molded top skin for forming a shell or shield maybe formed. In embodiments in which a molded base is used instead of atraditional base (e.g., a flat, non-stretchy, and/or non-woven base),one or more advantages may be recognized, such as better conformity tothe wearer's hand, better customizability, reduced labor and monetarycosts, etc. Further, in embodiments in which a molded top skin is usedinstead of the traditional sewn blocs, additional advantages may berealized, such as reduced manufacturing costs, a lighter and/or moredurable final product, greater customizability, a reduction in thelikelihood of manufacturing error, a greater variety in size and shapeof the glove, etc.

Additionally, some disclosed embodiments may include a combination of amolded base and a molded top skin. Further, in some embodiments, one ormore additional components of the glove, such as the palm, wrist cuff,and/or gusset, may be formed via molding. In other embodiments, however,a base and/or top skin may be molded, and other components of the glovemay be formed via traditional processes, such as by die cutting. Theseand other features and advantages of presently contemplated embodimentsare discussed in more detail below.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of amethod 10 for manufacturing a glove in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the method 10includes forming a molded base 12 (shown in FIG. 4) and a molded topskin 14 (shown in FIG. 4) via molding (block 16). The molding operationused to form the molded base 12 and/or the molded top skin 14 may be anysuitable type of molding, including, but not limited to compressionmolding, injection molding, or any other type of molding known to thoseof ordinary skill in the art. As such, forming the molded base 12 and/ormolded top skin 14 via molding may result in the molded base 12 and/orthe molded top skin 14 being formed from plastic, foam, blown ethylenevinyl acetate (EVA), or any other type of molded material.

The method 10 disclosed in FIG. 1 further includes forming the palm,wrist-cuff, gusset, and/or other glove components via molding and/or diecutting (block 18). That is, depending on implementation-specificconsiderations, the method of forming the remaining components of theglove may differ. For example, in one embodiment, the palm, wrist-cuff,and gusset may be formed via die cutting. For further example, inanother embodiment, the palm and wrist-cuff may be formed by diecutting, but the gusset may be molded. Factors such as the type ofmaterial desired for the given components, monetary constraints, timeconstraints, etc., may be considered when determining whether molding,die cutting, or a different method is used to form the remainingcomponents.

The method 10 disclosed in FIG. 1 may further include applying one ormore logos or markings to the molded base 12, the molded top skin 14,the palm, the wrist-cuff, the gusset, and/or any other desiredcomponents of the glove (block 20). For example, the prospective wearermay desire to apply a logo to one or more components that will be seenby the end wearer of the glove once assembly is complete. To that end,in certain embodiments, screen printing, embroidering, heat-cutting, orany other desired method may be used to apply a logo or marking to oneor more components of the glove.

In some embodiments, the molded base 12 may be screen printed to markthe locations where the molded top skin 14 will be attached to themolded base 12. In yet other embodiments, the molded base 12 may bemolded with indications (e.g., indentations, raised portions, etc.)showing where the top skin 14 is to attach to the molded base 12, thusreducing or eliminating the need for screen printing directional markson the molded base 12. Still further, one or more logos may be embeddedinto the molded base 12 and/or molded top skin 14. For example, the logocorresponding to the glove brand may be embedded into the molded topskin 14.

The method 10 may further include forming a backhand assembly byattaching the molded top skin 14 to the molded base 12 (block 22). Themolded top skin 14 may be attached to the molded base 12 in any suitablemanner, depending on implementation-specific variations in the sizeand/or shape of the molded top skin 14. For example, in one embodiment,the molded top skin 14 may include one or more compartments 24 definingone or more cavities 26. Each of the compartments 24 may be attached tothe molded base 12, as shown in FIG. 4 by arrow 28, at one or more edges30. However, in some embodiments, at least one edge 30 may remainunattached to the molded base 12 after the backhand assembly is formedat block 22. For example, in one embodiment, the compartment 24 may beformed as a square with four edges 30 adjacent the molded base 12. Insuch an embodiment, the backhand assembly may be formed by attachingthree of the four edges 30 to the molded base 12 but leaving one edge 30unattached from the base.

Still further, in other embodiments, the one or more compartments may beformed from other shapes and sizes such that a portion of an edgeremains unattached from the molded base 12 in the backhand assembly. Forexample, in another embodiment, a compartment 32 may be triangular inshape such that one of the long edges 34 of the triangular compartment32 remains unattached from the molded base 12 in the backhand assembly.Indeed, compartments 24 and 32 may be formed in any desired shape, notlimited to those shown herein, such that an edge or portion of an edgeremains unattached from the base in the backhand assembly.

Forming the backhand assembly with one or more open edges may offer oneor more advantages. For example, the one or more secured edges mayenable the relative position of the molded top skin 14 to be fixed withrespect to the molded base 12. However, the one or more open edges mayenable a suitable impact attention material to be introduced into thecavities 26 at a later manufacturing step. As used herein, impactattention material refers to any material configured to reduce theeffects of impact. For example, the impact attention material may befoam, gel, fluid, etc. Further, it should be noted that any desiredmethod for attaching the one or more secured edges to the molded base 12may be implemented, including, but not limited to, sewing, stitching,gluing, and so forth.

By forming both the base 12 and the top skin 14 via molding in theembodiment of FIG. 1, one or more advantages may be recognized at block22. For example, the molded base 12 and the molded top skin 14 may beformed in a complementary fashion, thus increasing conformity of size,shape, and/or fit between manufactured gloves. Further, the molded base12 and molded top skin 14 may include complementary stitching groovesconfigured to receive stitching material (e.g., threads) and reduce oreliminate the likelihood of abrasion of the stitching material duringglove use and/or the likelihood a seamstress will place the stitches inthe incorrect location.

Further, in some embodiments, a molded liner may be attached to themolded base 12 and/or formed with the molded base 12. In suchembodiments, the molded liner may provide additional comfort for theprospective wearer by providing a soft finish, heat managementproperties, etc. In some embodiments, the molded liner may be laminatedto the top surface of the molded base 12, thus reducing the number oflayers in the final assembly, reducing labor costs, and/or providing aliner with a lessened likelihood of dislodging during use. In someembodiments, the molded liner could also be 3D in shape to createchannels for heat management.

The method 10 also includes attaching a gusset to the palm and themolded base 12 at block 36. As known by those of ordinary skill in theart, the gusset may be formed from a piece of material defining theboundaries between the extremity regions of the glove and may offerventilation to the interior of the glove in some embodiments. In someembodiments, the gusset may be folded-stitched to the palm, and the sideof the gusset assembled to the palm may then be reverse stitched to themolded base 12 of the backhand assembly. In such embodiments, theexterior of the palm and the molded top skin 14 side of the backhandassembly may be facing one another at the conclusion of block 36.

The method further includes attaching a liner to the backhand assemblyto form an intermediate assembly at block 38. For example, a liner,which may be formed from fabric and/or foam, may be assembled to theunderside of the molded base 12 opposite the side of the molded base 12to which the molded top skin 14 is attached. In some embodiments, theliner may cover the extremities portions of the molded base 12 (e.g.,the four fingers and thumb portions) and the backhand portion of themolded base 12 corresponding to the back of the wearer's hand. In oneembodiment, the liner may be formed as a two part assembly. The two partassembly may include a first part corresponding to the one or moreextremity portions of the molded base 12 and a second part correspondingto the backhand portion of the molded base 12. For further example, inone embodiment, the first part of the liner may cover the four fingers,and the second part of the liner may cover the thumb and backhand.

Once the liner is attached to the backhand assembly, the intermediateassembly is reversed in orientation at block 40. For example, theintermediate assembly may be flipped inside out in some embodiments toposition the one or more cavities 26 formed by the one or morecompartments 24 for further processing. In the illustrated method 10,the one or more compartments 24 are filled at block 42 with a desiredmaterial. For example, the empty cavities 26 may be filled with impactattention material (e.g., foam having one or more desired properties).In one embodiment, the impact attention material may be foam. The foammay be single density, die-cut as double density, double/triple densitywith offset shape, assembled with glue, or processed in any othersuitable manner prior to insertion into the cavities 26. In someembodiments, the inserted material may be inserted into the cavities 26via a machine that compresses the material and pushes it into thecavities 26 via the edge(s) remaining open from block 22.

Each of the cavities 26 may be sequentially or concurrently filled,depending on the available machinery, time constraints, etc. Further, itshould be noted that each of the cavities 26 may be filled with adesired material. For instance, a first cavity may be filled with afirst foam having a first density, and a second cavity may be filledwith a second foam having a second density. In some embodiments, thefirst density and second density may be different. This may bedesirable, for example, if the portions of the glove corresponding todifferent portions of the wearer's hand are expected to be engaged indifferent types of wear during use. For example, if the backhand portionis expected to experience greater wear than the thumb portion, a moredurable material may be selected for the backhand portion than the thumbportion. For further example, a more flexible material may be chosen forareas of the glove proximate the wearer's knuckles to enable greatermovement.

It should be noted that in certain embodiments, some or all of thefilling of the compartment(s) at block 42 may be performed before block38 and/or block 40. For example, in one embodiment, the cavities 26 maybe partially or completely filled with material before attaching theliner and/or flipping the glove inside out. Indeed, depending onimplementation-specific considerations, the blocks in method 10 may notbe performed in the order in which they are presented herein.

The method 10 may further include closing one or more edges of thecompartments 24, 32 remaining open in the molded top skin 14 of theintermediate assembly at block 44. For example, in some embodiments, theremaining open edge(s) 30 may be stitched by a seamstress. Inembodiments that include a stitching groove, as discussed above, theprocess of closing the remaining open edges may be quicker and/orpresent a reduction in labor, as compared to traditional processes.Moreover, by molding the base 12 and top skin 14, the amount of extramaterial exposed around the remaining, last-closed edges may be reduced,as compared to traditional gloves not using molded materials.

The method 10 may also include attaching the wrist-cuff and any otherdesired glove components to form the final glove assembly at block 46.For example, in a lacrosse glove, the cuff-roll, wrist band, and centercuff may be reverse stitched, leaving one edge open, reversed insideout, and filled with die-cut foams, before the final open edge is closedvia fold stitching. The lacrosse glove may then be finalized byassembling the final backhand assembly with the cuff-roll.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a method 50 for manufacturing aglove in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. Themethod 50 differs from the method 10 shown in FIG. 1 at least becausethe method 10 includes forming the base and top skin via molding (block16), but the embodiment shown in the method 50 includes forming the base12 via molding at block 52. The method 50 also may include formingblocs, the palm, the wrist-cuff, and/or the gusset via die cuttingand/or molding at block 54. That is, in this embodiment, the base 12 maybe formed via molding, as described in detail above, but the top skin 14may be replaced by traditional die cut blocs (e.g., flat pieces offabric).

The method 50 may include applying logos and/or markings to one or moreof the glove components at block 56, in any of the manners describedabove for block 20. Further, the method 50 may include assembling theblocs into boxes at block 58. For example, corner edges of the blocs,formed from flat pieces of fabric, may be sewn together to form 3D boxesdefining an inner cavity. Once the blocs are formed into boxes, thefinished boxes may be marked for application to certain areas of themolded base 12. For example, certain boxes may be shaped for certainareas of the glove (e.g., extremities, thumb, backhand, etc.).

The method 50 may further include forming the backhand assembly byattaching the boxes to the molded base 12 at block 60. For example, themolded base 12 may include one or more indentations or raised portionsused to guide the attachment of the boxes to the appropriate locationson the molded base 12. For further example, in some embodiments,reference lines, such as screen printed lines, may be provided on themolded base 12 to guide placement of the boxes. As described above, theboxes may be attached to the molded base 12 at one or more edges, butone or more edges may remain unattached to enable filling of thecavities defined by the boxes.

At block 62, the method 50 may further include attaching the gusset tothe palm and the molded base 12, as described above with respect toblock 36. At block 64, the method 50 may also include attaching theliner to the backhand assembly to form the intermediate assembly, asdescribed above with respect to block 38. Similarly, as described abovefor block 40, the orientation of the intermediate assembly may bereversed at block 66.

The method 50 may also include filling one or more of the boxes at block68. This operation may proceed as described above for filling thecompartments in the top skin 14 at block 42. The method 50 also includesclosing the one or more remaining open edges of the boxes at block 70.The open edges may be closed in any manner described above for closingthe remaining open edges of the top skin 14 compartments 24. Forexample, the open edges may be stitched to the molded base 12 along thelength of the open edge. Finally, the glove assembly may be formed atblock 72 by assembling the backhand assembly with one or more additionalglove components, as described above for block 46.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a method 74 for manufacturing asports glove in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The method 74 differs from the method 10 shown in FIG. 1 atleast because the method 10 includes forming the base and top skin viamolding (block 16), but the embodiment shown in the method 74 includesforming the top skin 14 via molding at block 76. The method 74 may alsoinclude forming the base, the palm, the wrist-cuff, and/or the gussetvia die cutting and/or molding at block 78. That is, in this embodiment,the top skin 14 may be formed via molding, as described in detail above,but the base 12 may not be molded. Instead, in one embodiment, the base12 may be formed as a flat, non-stretchy, non-woven material.

At block 80, the method 74 may further include applying one or morelogos and/or markings to one or more components of the glove assembly,as described above with respect to block 20. The method 74 may alsoinclude forming the backhand assembly by attaching the molded top skin14 to the base 12 at block 82. In this embodiment, the attachment of themolded top skin 14 proceeds as described above, except the top skin 14is attached to the non-molded base. That is, one or more edges remainopen after formation of the backhand assembly to enable insertion of adesired material.

The method 74 may also include attaching the gusset to the palm and baseat block 84, attaching the liner to the backhand assembly to form theintermediate assembly at block 86, reversing the orientation of theintermediate assembly at block 88, filling the one or more compartmentsin the molded top skin 14 at block 89, closing one or more remainingopen edges at block 90, and forming the final glove assembly at block92. These steps proceed as described above for blocks 36, 38, 40, 42,44, and 46 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the molded base 12 and the moldedtop skin 14 for a sports glove, according to one embodiment. Asillustrated, the top skin 14 may be configured to match the size and/orshape of the base 12. The base 12, in turn, may be configured to matchthe size and/or shape of a wearer's hand 94. For example, in oneembodiment, the wearer's hand 94 may be scanned or imaged to determinesize, shape, and other hand features. FIG. 5 illustrates a crosssectional view of one embodiment of a base 12 including a contour region100 corresponding to the scanned fingers, a contour region 102corresponding to the scanned crevice region of the hand, and a scannedthumb region 104.

The image of a prospective wearer's hand 94 may then be used to form amold from which a base 12 may be generated. The size and/or shape of thetop skin 14 may then be selected to complement the size and/or shape ofthe base 12. In this way, the final sports glove including the moldedbase 12 and the molded top skin 14 may be customized for a given wearerof the glove.

In some embodiments, the molded base 12 may include one or more featuresthat enable the glove to be manufactured in a more precise, less costly,and/or less labor intensive manor than traditional gloves. For example,the base 12 may include one or more reference markings 96. The referencemarkings 96 may provide reference points that indicate the correctrelative positioning of the compartments 24 of the top skin 14 withrespect to the base 12. As such, the reference markings 96 may beindentations, raised surfaces, printed lines, or any other permanent,semi-permanent, or temporary markings suitable for use in the givenimplementation.

Further, in some embodiments, the base 12 may include one or more raisedsurfaces 98. The raised surfaces 98 may be provided in one or morelocations along the top surface of the base 12 that correspond to one ormore joints of a wearer. For example, the raised surfaces 98 may beprovided at the expected location(s) of a wearer's knuckles in the gloveassembly.

Further, the illustrated embodiment of the base 12 includes a palmportion 106 and one or more extremity portions 108, 110. The palmportion 106 is configured to be positioned proximate a back 112 of awearer's hand 94 in the glove assembly. The extremity portions 108 areconfigured to be positioned proximate a wearer's extremities 114, andthe extremity portion 110 is configured to be positioned proximate thewearer's thumb 116 in the glove assembly. In that way, the illustratedmolded base 12 is configured to match the shape of a prospectivewearer's hand. However, in other embodiments, the molded base may beconfigured to match a prospective wearer's hand in another manner. Forexample, in implementations in which the base 12 is used to form aboxing glove, the base 12 may be formed such that extremities portions108 are merged into a single portion.

Further, in some embodiments, a liner of the glove may be formed with orintegrated in the molded base 12. For example, during molding of themolded base 12, a fabric or mesh liner may be co-formed. The liner maybe provided for heat management, odor control, aesthetic appeal, and/orto increase the comfort of the wearer. Forming the liner via molding mayenable different foam densities to be chosen for the liner and themolded base 12. The different foam densities may be achieved, forexample, during the molding process. Further, by forming the liner viamolding, and optionally during the molding of the molded base 12, avariety of different liner shapes may be achieved, including but notlimited to dimples, donuts, mushroom, multiple holes, etc.

As discussed above, providing a molded base 12 may offer one or moreadvantages during manufacturing of the glove as compared to traditionalprocesses. For example, the molded base 12 may be formed to more closelyfit the size and/or shape of a prospective wearer's hand. For example,the molded base 12 may include one or more curved portions (i.e., acurved shape need not be created by providing breaks between flatportions) and may be a closer fit than traditional gloves, for example,by providing raised surfaces 98 to accommodate a prospective wearer'sknuckles.

Further, in some embodiments, the molded base 12 may include one or moreflex zones created during molding of the base 12. The one or more flexzones may be thinner areas, as compared to the remainder of the moldedbase 12, have holes, be open zones, etc. Still further, the referencelines 96 for stitching the boxes (or top skin(s) 14) may be incorporatedin the molded base 12 to reduce labor costs and/or improve quality andprecision. In certain embodiments, one or more stitching lines may beformed for the boxes/top skin(s) perimeters and/or open edge that canhave a recessed channel, thus increasing precision and comfort for thewearer of the glove. In some embodiments, such as a hockey glove orlacrosse goalie glove, the molded base 12 may enable part of the hand(e.g., the thumb) to fit “inside” the top skin 14 of an incorporatedreinforced part (e.g., plastic or composite), thus functioning as athumb protector and/or thumb-lock.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic illustrations of a top perspective viewand a bottom perspective view, respectively, of the molded top skin 14in accordance with one embodiment. As described above, the molded topskin 14 may include one or more compartments 24, 32. As shown, thecompartments 24, 32 may be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes,depending on the given implementation. Each of compartments 24, 32 maydefine corresponding cavities 26. The cavities 26 may be filled with adesired material, such as foam, during manufacturing of the gloveassembly.

In some embodiments, the compartments 24, 32 may be linked by aconnecting material 120. The connecting material 120 may be configuredto maintain the compartments 24, 32 in a fixed relationship with respectto one another. The connecting material 120 and the compartments 24, 32may be concurrently formed in a given molding operation in someembodiments. However, in other embodiments, the compartments 24, 32 maybe formed without connecting material 120. In such embodiments, thecompartments 24, 32 may be individually attached to the base 12. Stillfurther, in some embodiments, subsets of the compartments 24, 32 may beconnected via connecting material 120, such that different regions ofthe glove are provided by multiple top skins 14.

As discussed above, providing a molded top skin 14 may offer one or moreadvantages during manufacturing of the glove as compared to traditionalprocesses. For example, the molded top skin 14 may be used as a shell orshield that enables certain desirable manufacturing processes to be usedin the presently disclosed manufacturing methods. For instance, the useof top skin 14 with compartments 24, 32 defining cavities 26 may enablereverse stitching of the palm at blocks 36, 62, and 84 and reversing theorientation of the assembly at blocks 40, 66, and 88. Further, the emptycompartments 24, 32 may enable greater customizability of the glovebecause it enables a variety of impact attention material (e.g., foam)options to be chosen based on the prospective wearer (e.g., differentprotection levels).

The molded top skin 14 may further reduce or eliminate the need for useof the blocs and creation of the boxes, as compared to processes withoutthe molded top skin 14. The foregoing feature may reduce the laborneeded to manufacture a glove, reduce the likelihood of the boxes beingattached to the base 12 in the improper location, and/or reduce the sizeand/or shape variability in the final glove assembly (e.g., by enablinggreater stitching uniformity). Use of the molded top skin 14 may alsoenable a lighter product due to less overlay of material, as compared tousing individual pieces of fabric, higher durability (e.g., by reducingthe likelihood that a stitching edge may unravel), and reduction in thenumber of parts of the glove (e.g., to approximately 4-5 parts to matchthe different customizable zones of the glove). The molded top skin 14may also enable greater complexity of shapes and sizes and a reducedlikelihood of error in achieving such shapes and sizes. Further, bymolding the top skin 14, any desired embossing, textures, logos, orcolors could be formed as part of the molding process.

FIGS. 7A-C illustrate an embodiment of a glove 130 that may be formed byone or more of the methods 10, 50, 74, according to disclosedembodiments. As shown, the glove 130 may include extremity portions 132,a backhand portion 134, a palm portion 135, and a wrist portion 136.Each of the extremity portions 132 may include one or more filledcompartments 138. Likewise, the backhand portion 134 may include one ormore filled compartments 138.

The glove 130 may include one or more features that enable airflowbetween an exterior of the glove 130 and an interior of the glove 130.For example, as shown, the extremity portions 132 may be linked by oneor more gussets 140. The one or more gussets 140 may be formed from anysuitable material, for example, a breathable mesh configured to allowairflow into and out of the glove 130. Moreover, the gusset 140 may beprovided in one or more areas of the palm portion 135 to enable airflowto and/or from the wearer's palm. For example, in the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 7C, the gusset 140 is interspersed with linermaterial 142.

Further, in some embodiments, the glove may include one or more vents144 disposed at any desired location of the glove 130. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 7C, the glove 130 may include vents 144 disposed inthe extremity portions 132 of the glove adjacent the palm portion 135.However, in other embodiments, the vents 144 may be disposed in anysuitable location, such as the palm portion 135.

It should be noted that the products and/or processes disclosed may beused in combination or separately. Additionally, exemplary embodimentsare described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whereverconvenient, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawingsto refer to the same or like parts. While examples and features ofdisclosed principles are described herein, modifications, adaptations,and other implementations are possible without departing from the spiritand scope of the disclosed embodiments. It is intended that the priordetailed description be considered as exemplary only, with the truescope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

The examples presented herein are for purposes of illustration, and notlimitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blockshave been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of thedescription. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as thespecified functions and relationships thereof are appropriatelyperformed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations,deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to personsskilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein.Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosedembodiments. Also, the words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and“including,” and other similar forms are intended to be equivalent inmeaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one ofthese words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item oritems, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It mustalso be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, thesingular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing a glove, comprising:forming a base via molding, the base being shaped to include a palmportion and one or more extremity portions; forming blocs; assemblingthe blocs into boxes, the boxes including one or more compartments;forming a backhand assembly by attaching one or more edges of the one ormore compartments of the boxes to the base, wherein at least oneremaining edge of each of the one or more compartments is unattachedfrom the base; after forming a backhand assembly, reversing anorientation of the backhand assembly; after reversing an orientation ofthe backhand assembly, filling each of the one or more compartments ofthe boxes with impact attention material; and after filling each of theone or more compartments of the boxes, attaching the at least oneremaining edge of each of the one or more compartments to the base. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising applying one or more logos tothe base.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a palmand a gusset, the gusset being assembled with the palm to form a palmassembly.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising attaching thepalm assembly to the backhand assembly by attaching the gusset to thebase.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein attaching the gusset to the basecomprises reverse stitching.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising attaching a liner to the backhand assembly before reversingthe orientation of the backhand assembly.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the liner is formed from a two part assembly, the two partassembly including a first part corresponding to the one or moreextremity portions and a second part corresponding to the palm portion.8. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the blocs comprises moldingthe blocs.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the blocs comprisesdie cutting the blocs.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein forming thebase comprises compression molding the base.
 11. A method formanufacturing a glove, comprising: forming a base, the base being shapedto include a palm portion and one or more extremity portions; formingblocs; assembling the blocs into boxes, the boxes including one or morecompartments; forming a backhand assembly by attaching one or more edgesof the one or more compartments of the boxes to the base, wherein atleast one remaining edge of each of the one or more compartments isunattached from the base; after forming a backhand assembly, reversingan orientation of the backhand assembly; after reversing an orientationof the backhand assembly, filling each of the one or more compartmentsof the boxes with impact attention material; and after filling each ofthe one or more compartments of the boxes, attaching the at least oneremaining edge of each of the one or more compartments to the base. 12.The method of claim 11, further comprising applying one or more logos tothe base.
 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a palmand a gusset, the gusset being assembled with the palm to form a palmassembly.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising attaching thepalm assembly to the backhand assembly by attaching the gusset to thebase.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein attaching the gusset to thebase comprises reverse stitching.
 16. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising attaching a liner to the backhand assembly before reversingthe orientation of the backhand assembly.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein the liner is formed from a two part assembly, the two partassembly including a first part corresponding to the one or moreextremity portions and a second part corresponding to the palm portion.18. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the base comprises moldingthe base.
 19. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the base comprisesdie cutting the base.
 20. A method for manufacturing a glove,comprising: forming a top skin via molding, the top skin including oneor more compartments; forming a base via molding, the base being shapedto include a palm portion and one or more extremity portions; forming abackhand assembly by attaching one or more edges of the one or morecompartments of the top skin to the base, wherein at least one remainingedge of each of the one or more compartments is unattached from thebase; after forming a backhand assembly, reversing an orientation of thebackhand assembly; after reversing an orientation of the backhandassembly, filling each of the one or more compartments of the top skinwith impact attention material; and after filling each of the one ormore compartments of the top skin, attaching the at least one remainingedge of each of the one or more compartments to the base.